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Daily Archives: October 17, 2008

One would think Connecticut coach Randy Edsall is licking his chops to play a staggering Rutgers football team on Saturday.

Hardly. In fact, Edsall believes the Scarlet Knights’ 1-5 record gives the wrong impression of how dangerous the Scarlet Knights can be.

“I think Rutgers is a very talented football team, extremely well-coached and it’s always tough to go on the road and play in the Big East,” Edsall said. “We don’t ever look at anybody’s record. We just watch them on film and I see a lot of talented people. Talented people on offense, talented people on defense, talented people in their special teams. Our kids know we’re playing a team that’s talented and a team that’s well coached. You try and gear it up each week and get your kids to play the best you can and that’s what we’re trying to do coming down to Piscataway.”

A win and Connecticut will become bowl eligible for the second straight season — a first for Edsall’s program in just its seventh year at the Football Bowl Subdivision. A loss and Rutgers can all but kiss its chances of a winning season and a bowl berth goodbye.

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano (HNT file photo)

“I don’t feel like we’re a 1-5 team,” said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, whose Scarlet Knights have lost their last three games by a combined 12 points. “You are what your record is, I know. And that is the truth. We’re 1-5.

“But I’m telling you, as I look at our team there are enough good things going on. We’re just not making enough plays to win games. But I see things that are going well and I’m aggravated about the things that aren’t.”

UCONN PUNTER DESI CULLEN VS. RUTGERS PUNT RUSH
The Huskies had three punts blocked two weeks ago at North Carolina, and amazingly all were blocked by the same player. Few can appreciate Bruce Carter’s trifecta more than Devin McCourty, who blocked a punt at Navy last month. “With me blocking three in my career,” McCourty said, “to watch someone block three in a game was very impressive.” Though Randy Edsall vowed not to make “wholesale changes” in his punt team, the Huskies coach did hint at changing some of the personnel in the unit that blocks for punter Desi Cullen. “There could be a change,” Edsall conceded. Rutgers has blocked six punts since 2005, including two this season.

RUTGERS TO DO LIST

UConn RB Donald Brown (AP Photo)

STOP THE RUN

Considering Donald Brown has rushed for 353 yards in the past two meetings against Rutgers, it’s vital for UConn’s star tailback not to have a field day in this one. While Rutgers coach Greg Schiano dismissed a question of whether he had a rushing number in mind, keeping Brown under 100 yards would be a good place to start. Though Rutgers’ rush defense ranks 79th nationally it’s coming off a game in which it yielded just 97 rushing yards to Cincinnati.

PRESSURE THE QB
For the second straight week the Scarlet Knights will be facing a quarterback who’s making his second start and that means the defensive game plan shouldn’t be much different than last week’s at Cincinnati. Pressuring the QB should be the order of the day, especially since Rutgers had success last week in sacking Cincinnati’s Chazz Anderson three times.

Rutgers backup QB Dom Natale (Andrew Miller/Courier News)

THROW THE KITCHEN SINK

Forget all the talk from the 1-5 Scarlet Knights this week about “one-game seasons.” A loss today will virtually eliminate them from bowl contention, considering anything below 7-5 will likely mean no bowl in the Big East this fall. That means the Knights should treat this like an elimination game, leave nothing out of the playbook and even shake things up personnel-wise. Who knows, maybe the “”kitchen sink” wears No. 11 and backs up quarterback Mike Teel.

CONNECTICUT TO DO LIST

ESTABLISH THE RUN
Donald Brown is averaging a nation’s best 177.8 yards per game, and has rushed for at least 145 yards and scored a touchdown in every game this season. It’s safe to say the redshirt junior from Red Bank Catholic will be a key part of the game plan once again, especially considering QB Zack Frazer is making just his second start.

PLAY SOUND DEFENSE

UConn cornerback Darius Butler (AP Photo)

For all the praise Donald Brown has received of late, the Huskies’ strength is its ability to limit teams offensively. UConn’s front-7 is a good one, featuring linebacker Scott Lutrus and d-linemen Cody Brown and Julius Williams, and the secondary that boasts Darius Butler ranks first in the Big East with nine interceptions. Overall, Connecticut ranks No. 33 nationally in total defense, which doesn’t bode well for a Rutgers team averaging just 13 points against Football Bowl Subdivision foes this season.

EARN RESPECT WITH THE QB
Zach Frazer doesn’t have to be the second-coming of Dan Orlovsky, but the Huskies’ quarterback needs to make Rutgers’ defense respect him so it doesn’t simply stack the box to shut down Donald Brown. With a bye week to fully acclimate their new starting signal caller, the Huskies hope to see an improved quarterback than the one who threw three interceptions in his first start at North Carolina two weeks ago.

Prospects are able to sign letters of intent beginning Wednesday. Per a new rule last season, college football programs are able to accept National Letters of Intent (NLIs) during an early signing period for three days in December. These NLIs are a binding commitment between school and individual. In 2018, this period begins Wednesday December […]

The former Scarlet Knight rushed for over 100 yards for the third time in his past five games Gus Edwards has paved an unlikely path from undrafted free agent to making the practice squad to becoming the starting running back for the Baltimore Ravens, all since this past April. After having a productive final season […]